Class PlayableDirector

PlayableDirector is the main component for controlling timelines in Needle Engine.
It orchestrates playback of TimelineAssets containing animation, audio, signal,
control, and activation tracks.


Screenshot: Timeline in Unity

Supported track types:

  • Animation tracks - animate objects using AnimationClips
  • Audio tracks - play synchronized audio
  • Activation tracks - show/hide objects at specific times
  • Signal tracks - trigger events at specific points
  • Control tracks - control nested timelines or prefab instances
  • Marker tracks - add metadata and navigation points

Playback control:
Use play(), pause(), stop() for basic control.
Set time directly and call evaluate() for scrubbing.
Adjust speed for playback rate and weight for blending.

Example: Basic timeline playback

const director = myObject.getComponent(PlayableDirector);
director.play();
// Jump to specific time
director.time = 2.5;
director.evaluate();

Example: Control playback speed

director.speed = 0.5; // Half speed
director.speed = -1;  // Reverse playback

See

Link

https://engine.needle.tools/samples/?overlay=samples&tag=animation

Link

https://app.songsofcultures.com/

Link

https://engine.needle.tools/docs/blender/animation.html Blender timeline and animation export

Hierarchy (View Summary)

Properties

animationCallbackReceivers extrapolationMode gameObject guid playableAsset? playOnAwake? sourceId? waitForAudio

Accessors

[$componentName] activeAndEnabled animationTracks audioTracks context destroyed duration enabled forward isPaused isPlaying layer markerTracks name right scene signalTracks speed static tag time up weight worldEuler worldPosition worldQuaternion worldRotation

Methods

addEventListener destroy dispatchEvent earlyUpdate? evaluate foreachMarker forEachTrack isValid lateUpdate? onAfterRender? onBeforeRender? onBeforeXR? onCollisionEnter? onCollisionExit? onCollisionStay? onEnterXR? onLeaveXR? onPausedChanged? onPointerClick? onPointerDown? onPointerEnter? onPointerExit? onPointerMove? onPointerUp? onTriggerEnter? onTriggerExit? onTriggerStay? onUpdateXR? onValidate? onXRControllerAdded? onXRControllerRemoved? pause play registerAnimationCallback removeEventListener setWorldPosition setWorldQuaternion setWorldRotation start? startCoroutine stop stopCoroutine supportsXR? unregisterAnimationCallback update? registerCreateTrack

Properties

ReadonlyanimationCallbackReceivers

animationCallbackReceivers: ITimelineAnimationOverride[] = []

Experimental support for overriding timeline animation data (position or rotation)

extrapolationMode

extrapolationMode: DirectorWrapMode = DirectorWrapMode.Loop

Determines how the timeline behaves when it reaches the end of its duration.

Default

DirectorWrapMode.Loop

gameObject

gameObject: GameObject

Reference to the GameObject this component is attached to This is a three.js Object3D with additional GameObject functionality

guid

guid: string = "invalid"

Unique identifier for this component instance, used for finding and tracking components

OptionalplayableAsset

playableAsset?: TimelineAssetModel

The timeline asset containing tracks, clips, and markers that this director will play. Assign a timeline asset exported from Unity or Blender to enable playback.

OptionalplayOnAwake

playOnAwake?: boolean

When true, the timeline starts playing automatically when the component awakens. Set to false to control playback manually via play().

Default

false

OptionalsourceId

sourceId?: string

Identifier for the source asset that created this component. For example, URL to the glTF file this component was loaded from

waitForAudio

waitForAudio: boolean = true

When true, play() will wait for audio tracks to load and for user interaction
before starting playback. Web browsers require user interaction (click/tap) before
allowing audio to play - this ensures audio is synchronized with the timeline.
Set to false if you need immediate visual playback and can tolerate audio delay.

Default

true

Accessors

[$componentName]

  • get "[$componentName]"(): undefined | string

    Get the original component type name before minification (available if the component is registered in the TypeStore)

    Returns undefined | string

activeAndEnabled

  • get activeAndEnabled(): boolean

    Checks if this component is currently active (enabled and part of an active GameObject hierarchy) Components that are inactive won't receive lifecycle method calls

    Returns boolean

    True if the component is enabled and all parent GameObjects are active

animationTracks

audioTracks

context

  • get context(): Context

    The context this component belongs to, providing access to the runtime environment including physics, timing utilities, camera, and scene

    Returns Context

  • set context(context: Context): void

    Parameters

    Returns void

destroyed

  • get destroyed(): boolean

    Checks if this component has been destroyed

    Returns boolean

    True if the component or its GameObject has been destroyed

duration

  • get duration(): number

    The total duration of the timeline in seconds (read from the longest track/clip).

    Returns number

  • set duration(value: number): void

    Parameters

    • value: number

    Returns void

enabled

  • get enabled(): boolean

    Controls whether this component is enabled Disabled components don't receive lifecycle callbacks

    Returns boolean

  • set enabled(val: boolean): void

    Parameters

    • val: boolean

    Returns void

forward

  • get forward(): Vector3

    Gets the forward direction vector (0,0,-1) of this component's GameObject in world space

    Returns Vector3

isPaused

  • get isPaused(): boolean

    Returns true if the timeline is currently paused.

    Returns boolean

isPlaying

  • get isPlaying(): boolean

    Returns true if the timeline is currently playing (not paused or stopped).

    Returns boolean

layer

  • get layer(): number

    The layer value of the GameObject this component is attached to Used for visibility and physics filtering

    Returns number

markerTracks

name

  • get name(): string

    The name of the GameObject this component is attached to Used for debugging and finding objects

    Returns string

  • set name(str: string): void

    Parameters

    • str: string

    Returns void

right

  • get right(): Vector3

    Gets the right direction vector (1,0,0) of this component's GameObject in world space

    Returns Vector3

scene

  • get scene(): Scene

    Shorthand accessor for the current scene from the context

    Returns Scene

    The scene this component belongs to

signalTracks

speed

  • get speed(): number

    The playback speed multiplier. Set to negative values for reverse playback.

    Returns number

    Example: Reverse playback at double speed

    director.speed = -2;
  • set speed(value: number): void

    Parameters

    • value: number

    Returns void

static

  • get static(): boolean

    Indicates whether the GameObject is marked as static Static objects typically don't move and can be optimized by the engine

    Returns boolean

  • set static(value: boolean): void

    Parameters

    • value: boolean

    Returns void

tag

  • get tag(): string

    The tag of the GameObject this component is attached to Used for categorizing objects and efficient lookup

    Returns string

  • set tag(str: string): void

    Parameters

    • str: string

    Returns void

time

  • get time(): number

    The current playback time in seconds. Set this and call evaluate() to scrub.

    Returns number

    Example: Scrub to a specific time

    director.time = 5.0;
    director.evaluate();
  • set time(value: number): void

    Parameters

    • value: number

    Returns void

up

  • get up(): Vector3

    Gets the up direction vector (0,1,0) of this component's GameObject in world space

    Returns Vector3

weight

  • get weight(): number

    The blend weight of the timeline (0-1). Use values below 1 to blend timeline animations with other animations like those from an Animator.

    Returns number

  • set weight(value: number): void

    Parameters

    • value: number

    Returns void

worldEuler

  • get worldEuler(): Euler

    Gets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space as Euler angles (in radians)

    Returns Euler

  • set worldEuler(val: Euler): void

    Sets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space using Euler angles (in radians)

    Parameters

    • val: Euler

      The world rotation Euler angles to set

    Returns void

worldPosition

  • get worldPosition(): Vector3

    Gets the position of this component's GameObject in world space.
    Note: This is equivalent to calling this.gameObject.worldPosition

    Returns Vector3

  • set worldPosition(val: Vector3): void

    Sets the position of this component's GameObject in world space

    Parameters

    • val: Vector3

      The world position vector to set

    Returns void

worldQuaternion

  • get worldQuaternion(): Quaternion

    Gets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space as a quaternion Note: This is equivalent to calling this.gameObject.worldQuaternion

    Returns Quaternion

  • set worldQuaternion(val: Quaternion): void

    Sets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space using a quaternion

    Parameters

    • val: Quaternion

      The world rotation quaternion to set

    Returns void

worldRotation

  • get worldRotation(): Vector3

    Gets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space as Euler angles (in degrees)
    Note: This is equivalent to calling this.gameObject.worldRotation

    Returns Vector3

  • set worldRotation(val: Vector3): void

    Sets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space using Euler angles (in degrees)

    Parameters

    • val: Vector3

      The world rotation vector to set (in degrees)

    Returns void

Methods

addEventListener

  • addEventListener<T extends Event>(type: string, listener: (evt: T) => any): void

    Registers an event listener for the specified event type

    Type Parameters

    Parameters

    • type: string

      The event type to listen for

    • listener: (evt: T) => any

      The callback function to execute when the event occurs

    Returns void

destroy

  • destroy(): void

    Destroys this component and removes it from its GameObject After destruction, the component will no longer receive lifecycle callbacks

    Returns void

dispatchEvent

  • dispatchEvent(evt: Event): boolean

    Dispatches an event to all registered listeners

    Parameters

    • evt: Event

      The event object to dispatch

    Returns boolean

    Always returns false (standard implementation of EventTarget)

OptionalearlyUpdate

  • earlyUpdate(): void

    Called at the beginning of each frame before regular updates. Use for logic that needs to run before standard update callbacks.

    Returns void

evaluate

  • evaluate(): void

    Evaluate the timeline at the current time. This is useful when you want to manually update the timeline e.g. when the timeline is paused and you set time to a new value.

    Returns void

foreachMarker

  • foreachMarker<T extends Record<string, any>>(
        type?: null | string,
    ): Generator<T & MarkerModel>

    Iterates over all markers of the timeline, optionally filtering by type

    Type Parameters

    Parameters

    • type: null | string = null

    Returns Generator<T & MarkerModel>

    Example

    // Iterate over all ScrollMarkers in the timeline
    for (const marker of director.foreachMarker<{selector:string}>("ScrollMarker")) {
      console.log(marker.time, marker.selector);
    }

forEachTrack

isValid

  • isValid(): undefined | boolean

    Returns undefined | boolean

    true if the timeline is valid and has tracks

OptionallateUpdate

  • lateUpdate(): void

    Called after all update functions have been called. Use for calculations that depend on other components being updated first.

    Returns void

OptionalonAfterRender

  • onAfterRender(): void

    Called after the scene has been rendered. Use for post-processing or UI updates that should happen after rendering

    Returns void

OptionalonBeforeRender

  • onBeforeRender(frame: null | XRFrame): void

    Called immediately before the scene is rendered.

    Parameters

    • frame: null | XRFrame

      Current XRFrame if in an XR session, null otherwise

    Returns void

OptionalonBeforeXR

  • onBeforeXR(mode: XRSessionMode, args: XRSessionInit): void

    Called before an XR session is requested Use to modify session initialization parameters

    Parameters

    • mode: XRSessionMode

      The XR session mode being requested

    • args: XRSessionInit

      The session initialization parameters that can be modified

    Returns void

OptionalonCollisionEnter

  • onCollisionEnter(col: Collision): any

    Called when this component's collider begins colliding with another collider.

    Parameters

    • col: Collision

      Information about the collision that occurred

    Returns any

OptionalonCollisionExit

  • onCollisionExit(col: Collision): any

    Called when this component's collider stops colliding with another collider.

    Parameters

    • col: Collision

      Information about the collision that ended

    Returns any

OptionalonCollisionStay

  • onCollisionStay(col: Collision): any

    Called each frame while this component's collider is colliding with another collider

    Parameters

    • col: Collision

      Information about the ongoing collision

    Returns any

OptionalonEnterXR

OptionalonLeaveXR

OptionalonPausedChanged

  • onPausedChanged(isPaused: boolean, wasPaused: boolean): void

    Called when the context's pause state changes.

    Parameters

    • isPaused: boolean

      Whether the context is currently paused

    • wasPaused: boolean

      The previous pause state

    Returns void

OptionalonPointerClick

OptionalonPointerDown

OptionalonPointerEnter

OptionalonPointerExit

OptionalonPointerMove

OptionalonPointerUp

OptionalonTriggerEnter

  • onTriggerEnter(col: ICollider): any

    Called when this component's trigger collider is entered by another collider

    Parameters

    • col: ICollider

      The collider that entered this trigger

    Returns any

OptionalonTriggerExit

  • onTriggerExit(col: ICollider): any

    Called when another collider exits this component's trigger collider

    Parameters

    • col: ICollider

      The collider that exited this trigger

    Returns any

OptionalonTriggerStay

  • onTriggerStay(col: ICollider): any

    Called each frame while another collider is inside this component's trigger collider

    Parameters

    • col: ICollider

      The collider that is inside this trigger

    Returns any

OptionalonUpdateXR

OptionalonValidate

  • onValidate(prop?: string): void

    Called when a field decorated with @validate() is modified.

    Parameters

    • Optionalprop: string

      The name of the field that was changed

    Returns void

OptionalonXRControllerAdded

OptionalonXRControllerRemoved

pause

  • pause(): void

    Pause the timeline.

    Returns void

play

  • play(): Promise<void>

    Play the timeline from the current time.
    If the timeline is already playing this method does nothing.

    Returns Promise<void>

registerAnimationCallback

removeEventListener

  • removeEventListener<T extends Event>(
        type: string,
        listener: (arg: T) => any,
    ): void

    Removes a previously registered event listener

    Type Parameters

    Parameters

    • type: string

      The event type the listener was registered for

    • listener: (arg: T) => any

      The callback function to remove

    Returns void

setWorldPosition

  • setWorldPosition(x: number, y: number, z: number): void

    Sets the position of this component's GameObject in world space using individual coordinates

    Parameters

    • x: number

      X-coordinate in world space

    • y: number

      Y-coordinate in world space

    • z: number

      Z-coordinate in world space

    Returns void

setWorldQuaternion

  • setWorldQuaternion(x: number, y: number, z: number, w: number): void

    Sets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space using quaternion components

    Parameters

    • x: number

      X component of the quaternion

    • y: number

      Y component of the quaternion

    • z: number

      Z component of the quaternion

    • w: number

      W component of the quaternion

    Returns void

setWorldRotation

  • setWorldRotation(x: number, y: number, z: number, degrees?: boolean): void

    Sets the rotation of this component's GameObject in world space using individual Euler angles

    Parameters

    • x: number

      X-axis rotation

    • y: number

      Y-axis rotation

    • z: number

      Z-axis rotation

    • degrees: boolean = true

      Whether the values are in degrees (true) or radians (false)

    Returns void

Optionalstart

  • start(): void

    Called once at the beginning of the first frame after the component is enabled. Use for initialization that requires other components to be awake.

    Returns void

startCoroutine

  • startCoroutine(routine: Generator, evt?: FrameEvent): Generator

    Starts a coroutine that can yield to wait for events. Coroutines allow for time-based sequencing of operations without blocking. Coroutines are based on generator functions, a JavaScript language feature.

    Parameters

    • routine: Generator

      Generator function to start

    • evt: FrameEvent = FrameEvent.Update

      Event to register the coroutine for (default: FrameEvent.Update)

    Returns Generator

    The generator function that can be used to stop the coroutine

    Example

    Time-based sequencing of operations

    *myCoroutine() {
      yield WaitForSeconds(1); // wait for 1 second
      yield WaitForFrames(10); // wait for 10 frames
      yield new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 1000)); // wait for a promise to resolve
    }

    Example

    Coroutine that logs a message every 5 frames

    onEnable() {
      this.startCoroutine(this.myCoroutine());
    }
    private *myCoroutine() {
      while(this.activeAndEnabled) {
        console.log("Hello World", this.context.time.frame);
        // wait for 5 frames
        for(let i = 0; i < 5; i++) yield;
      }
    }

stop

  • stop(): void

    Stop the timeline.

    Returns void

stopCoroutine

  • stopCoroutine(routine: Generator, evt?: FrameEvent): void

    Stops a coroutine that was previously started with startCoroutine

    Parameters

    • routine: Generator

      The routine to be stopped

    • evt: FrameEvent = FrameEvent.Update

      The frame event the routine was registered with

    Returns void

OptionalsupportsXR

  • supportsXR(mode: XRSessionMode): boolean

    Determines if this component supports a specific XR mode

    Parameters

    • mode: XRSessionMode

      The XR session mode to check support for

    Returns boolean

    True if the component supports the specified mode

unregisterAnimationCallback

Optionalupdate

  • update(): void

    Called once per frame during the main update loop. The primary location for frame-based game logic.

    Returns void

StaticregisterCreateTrack

  • registerCreateTrack(type: string, fn: CreateTrackFunction): void

    Register a function to create a track handler for a custom track type. This allows you to extend the timeline system with your own track types and handlers.

    Parameters

    • type: string
    • fn: CreateTrackFunction

    Returns void

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